Hey all, Im new to the forum here but not so new to the Toyo trucks. My current project is a 1971/72 Hilux(Manufactured in Oct of 71 for release in Feb of 72, so seems to have mix of 71/72 parts). This is a pretty unique vehicle, as it is painted like a Amanita mushroom, hence the nickname Amanita-mobile. It has been used as the "mascot" for the Telluride mushroom fest for the last 44 years, and I have the pleasure and oft headache of rebuilding it! I am based in Western Colorado and have owned 7 toyota pickups of various generations over the years, as well as a few AMC Eagles.. So far Iv rebuilt the Front end (I wish I had switched to discs!) , shocks all around rebuilt the carb and done a general tune-up. It runs decently but is dieseling and smoking when I go to shut her down.. The body is going to need TONS of work and im having a hard time finding reliable parts that fit.. Anyway, im here for the journey and excited to be part of this community!
Now THAT is one unique story for one unique rig!! I love the fender indicators on the 71/72s From the pictures online, it seems to look decent, aside some dings here and there. What's the interior look like on it? Should def show us more pictures of it, very curious to it! As for the dieseling, I'd imagine the carburetor probably doesn't have a shutoff solenoid like the 79-83 Pickups, but if it does on the offchance I would doublecheck the operation of that solenoid/whatever mechanism (if it has any anti-dieseling measures) controls that to see if it's still doing it's job. Someone else who knows Hiluxes should chime in. Very cool!
Hey man, welcome welcome. I’ve been doing a bit more on my ‘79 lately and yes: it’s HARD to find parts for these. I’ve had a bit of luck with NAPA and Jegs, hoping that will continue as I move forward. Found my chrome bumper on Craigslist, but we had to set the search map pretty wide (it was about 150 miles away in Damascus OR). Clean living will probably yield the best results, but there’s no real proof of that so don’t swear off beer just yet.
Thanks for the warm welcome all! Slowly slowly this project is moving forward haha. It surely is an interesting vehicle with an interesting story, and luckily we have a community around the vehicle to help fundraising the project! Interior is hammered.. holes in the floor, lots of missing parts.. will need a full resto. Ill post pics of the whole thing soon. If anyone has leads for parts, please let me know. At this point I am looking for a Grille, hood and windshield. I may be able to weld the crack on the hood, but am not sure yet.. the body needs a fair amount of welding and patching.. I need to put together a comprehensive list for parts I need, and will post that as soon as I can. Here is the link to our go fund me, we have really cool bumper stickers and shirts available if you make a substantial donation too! https://www.gofundme.com/f/refurbishing-the-amanitamobile
